King Arthur Baking Co. will host a holiday pop-up at 640 S. Main St. in Greenville from Nov. 2 to Dec. 22.
The pop-up will display its baking products and kitchen appliances, and feature artwork from local artists. King Arthur has a history reaching back to 1790 and the country’s first flour producer.
It will be the company’s first pop-up. Choosing Greenville was no coincidence.
“The destination is a really important part in really connecting with bakers,” King Arthur CEO Karen Colberg said. “It was essential to find a community where the incidence of baking would be high, whether it was someone with a young family or an individual who was finding a love of baking.
“We did a lot of research. We looked at art data, we looked at competitor data, and we said, ‘Where is the opportunity?’ We really focused on the South, and we zeroed in on South Carolina, then we zeroed in further on Greenville because that’s where all the pieces came together.”
The community was a vital part of the selection process, since part of the company’s mission is sharing the joy of baking and teaching people how to bake.
Community connection
King Arthur’s creative director, Tomlynn Biondo, said the search for Greenville artists began by reaching out to print shops and colleges to get the word out.
“We had people submit just by sending their portfolio,” Biondo said. “Once we received the portfolios, we really sat down as a team and everyone went into it with different perspectives in why we were choosing different artists. We had a team discussion and where we ended was selecting artists that we felt had different-enough styles so that all four canvases could look different.”
Biondo said the team tried to find artists with experience with food subjects or the baking space, as well as engagement in the local community. Once artists were selected, the creative team gave the artists the task of creating an original piece using four colors: red, black, white and gold.
🍞 @kingarthurflour was the FIRST flour company in the USA. Founded in Boston, now headquartered in Vermont & coming to #GreenvilleSC this holiday season. 🍪 The powerhouse of flour will open a pop-up shop at 640 S. Main from Nov 2nd to Dec 22. ⬇️ https://t.co/qf2UiqyunO pic.twitter.com/9XZWzL2T68
— City of Greenville (@CityGreenville) October 24, 2023
One of the artists selected, Melissa Anderson, created a painting called “Ready to Bake,” featuring donuts, King Arthur flour and other baking essentials.
Anderson found a welcome challenge in creating the piece using only the four selected colors. She also had to consider its placement.
“Well, I knew that they wanted to place the paintings high,” Anderson said. “They’re going to be up on shelves. So, perspective: You’re trying to get something that reads big enough. It’s a little more pop art-y.”
The four pieces selected will be showcased next to each other to create a polyptych, showcasing each artist’s approach to the tasks using their respective styles.
King Arthur will also bring a cookie truck and work with local partners to educate and encourage baking in the community throughout the tenure of the pop-up. To stay updated, visit kingarthurbaking.com/greenville.
